Rising from the Ashes
by LadyDeb1970
Summary: Sequel to Pieces of the Truth: Din Djarin is eight years old when his world turned to ash. But he was rescued and become part of a huge, and very unconventional family. He's still saved by Mandalorians … from a certain point of view.
1. Prologue

Author's Notes: When I finished writing _Pieces of the Truth_ almost three years ago, I never intended to write a sequel. Not that I didn't think it was possible ... I knew there were more stories that _could_ be told, but no bunnies were nipping at my toes, demanding to be written. That all changed with the release of _The Mandalorian_. As I was again watching footage of the show, something went ping in my brain, and the next thing I know, I had Cody talking to me. So. Here we have the sequel to _Pieces of the Truth_. I know, angels aren't quite the same in Star Wars that they are in life, but I still think baby!Din would regard his rescuers as angels. And no, these are not the Mandalorians who rescued Din in the show … but they are Mandalorians, from a certain point of view. And yes, Baby Yoda will be making an appearance in a few chapters.

Disclaimer: Din Djarin, the impossibly adorable tike we call Baby Yoda, Cody, Kix, Obi-Wan, et al, do not belong to me. They are the property of Lucasfilm and Disney. As of right now, the only original character is Jasleen Palpatine. She does belong to me.

Prologue

Armored Angels

Three Years After the Fall of Darth Sidious

He was eight years old. He was alone in the dark. And he was terrified.

His parents left him here, tucked away from the fire and the screams and the blaster bolts … he was safe, at least for the moment. But he was alone, no comforting arms around his small body or gentle fingers caressing his hair. And he was afraid, his young mind conjuring terrifying possibilities, based on what he was hearing, what he'd seen before his parents tucked him away in this hiding place … and he wanted his mother and father. But the longer the doors stayed closed, the less chance there was of little Din Djarin ever seeing his parents alive again.

When those doors finally did open, the little boy was sure his own life was over, because one of the metal monsters that attacked his village (the Civil War was supposed to be over, the fighting was supposed to be done years earlier, that was what his father said) was leveling a blaster at him. Din turned his face away, closing his eyes … and then, a miracle happened. The metal monster exploded in a shower of metal pieces. Din looked up, stunned … and saw a second metallic figure. It was much smaller, human shaped, and it was a very human voice that growled, "You were warned, droid."

The figure holstered his blaster, saying in a far gentler voice, "Hey, kid … c'mon out. I promise you, that's the last of those things. They won't hurt you or anyone else ever again." As he spoke, he took a careful step forward, reaching his hand out to Din. Swallowing hard, the boy reached back, and felt gentle fingers wrap around his much smaller hand. The newcomer said softly, "You're a brave kid. I need you to be brave a little bit longer, okay?" Din nodded, allowing his rescuer to lead him out of the shelter. But even the gentle admonishment wasn't enough to keep from crying out as he saw the crumpled bodies of his parents not far from the shelter. His rescuer swore under his breath and dropped to one knee, removing his head? No … no, it was his helmet. He removed his helmet with one hand, never releasing Din's own hand, and Din found himself looking at a man who seemed to be the same age as his father … olive-complected, dark-haired and dark-eyed. His rescuer said gently, "I am so sorry, kid. We came as soon as we heard your village was in trouble, as soon as we knew about the Seppie remnants, but we didn't know soon enough. I'm sorry."

With those words, he pulled Din into his arms, hand cradling the back of Din's skull. Another one of the figures in metal called, "Commander, take him to the infirmary when we get back to the ship … I want to make sure he's all right. The others are doing a sweep … seems like this isn't the only village that was hit." The … commander? Rolled his eyes, drawing a tiny giggle from Din, and the other figure sighed, "Yeah, I figured as much. I'll meet you there."

"Ignore Kix. Being CMO makes him cranky," the commander said with a gentle smile, ignoring Kix's '_and you're not cranky when people ignore what you tell them to do_?' He went on, "He's right, though. I need to get you up to the ship, so I need you to put your arms around my neck and hold on tight while I activate my jetpack. Ready? If you need a few minutes, we can take that time … besides, I do need to put my bucket back on." He briefly released Din, and the boy immediately missed the contact. The bucket … his helmet … went back on, and he held his hands out to Din. Hesitating only for a moment, Din reached back and wrapped his arms around the commander. The man folded his arms around Din in turn, murmuring, "You're gonna be okay, kid. We'll get you back to the general, Kix will make sure that tin can didn't hurt you, and then we'll get something worked out for you. Promise."

With those words, he straightened up and there was a roaring in Din's ears … and then, they were both in the air. But any awe or joy Din might have taken in flying was wiped away by seeing what was left of his village, of his home, of his family, of his life. And the tears began once more. It was the first time he cried for his parents ... it wouldn't be the last. But one thing eight year old Din Djarin didn't realize as he rose in the sky in the arms of an armored angel … he also wouldn't be alone. He was about to be adopted into an extremely large and extremely unusual family.

TBC


	2. Chapter 1: Ad'ika

Author's Notes: So, here we have the official first chapter, in which Obi-Wan meets Din; our little Mandalorian-to-be bonds with Cody; and Mace and Yoda discuss what's coming. The last section took a little detour I wasn't expecting, to be honest … I'd been thinking about older Jedi retreating to the AgriCorps in particular even as I finished editing _Pieces of the Truth_ to post to AO3, but then I happened to watch the last hour of _Billy Budd_ while I was writing the last section (holy cow, Terence Stamp was gorgeous when he was a young man), and it (the trial/court martial in particular) got me to thinking about the wounds inflicted on people in authority/leadership positions. It occurred to me at the same time that, as has been mentioned many times, the Jedi were not really made for war … that's not their purpose. Thus, they would be even more in need of healing, and the Service Corps would be a good place for that. They would need therapy, because many of them would have PTSD … but they would also need something to keep their hands busy … something productive. Two birds, one stone.

Chapter One

Ad'ika

The Negotiator Flagship

An hour later

It was some time since he last had a nightmare about the alternate reality. If he was inclined to lie to himself, he would say he wasn't sure what pushed those memories to the surface; however, he knew exactly what did that. It was only a week since Jasleen Palpatine fully awakened from carbonite, and that was reason enough. The girl, as to be expected, was struggling with her new reality: father dead, her so-called best friend anything but, and fifteen years gone. At least she had someone to hold her hand as she took her first steps in a decade and a half, and as she continued to make adjustments. And Anakin, for his own part, seemed utterly smitten with her, to the point that Ahsoka was teasing him nonstop before they left for their current mission.

That brought Obi-Wan Kenobi's attention back to the planet before him … a mission that could have never happened in the other timeline, the other reality. So many things were different, in all the best ways. There were other things that, unfortunately, the same … albeit for very different reasons. Case in point, the reason several members of the 212th were on the planet below them. Two ten-days earlier, the High Council was informed of a natural disaster affecting a Mid-Rim planet, a planet asking for Jedi assistance, and they weren't at all picky about having clones on their planet. A matter of days after Jasleen's awakening, Obi-Wan left with Ahsoka, as another set of children orphaned or abandoned during the course of the war arrived at the Temple.

Upon reaching their destination, Obi-Wan was quietly horrified to discover that the disaster befalling the planet was anything but natural. What appeared at first to be flooding following a heavy rainy season was actually due to attacks on dams, unleashed by General Grievous … and once the 212th arrived in the atmosphere, Grievous switched his attention from washing away settlements to attacking those settlements full on. Sadly, it was becoming a familiar theme with the cyborg general.

Over the last three years, there were quite a few sightings of Grievous, always leaving a rather wide swath of destruction in his wake. He had to be stopped … there was no question of that. The only question was, how. It was Obi-Wan's fervent desire to reach the honorable warrior the general was, once upon a time (once, before Kimi Pelonite, aka Lady Sidious, got her claws into him). He just didn't know if that was possible. And while he hated the thought of it, he knew there was a chance he would have to kill the other general. He didn't want to … he truly didn't. The general was lured to Lady Sidious, her minion spinning beautiful lies to him, telling him that experiments they would perform would make him an even better protector for his people. As she was wont to do, once he was firmly within her grasp, Lady Sidious revealed that she lied to him, and the resulting trauma of both the experiments and the revelation of those lies, that he was created for her own reasons … led to a rampage throughout the galaxy. And now, these people were paying the price. Innocent people, who had nothing to do with Sidious' crimes. Obi-Wan could well understand Grievous' pain and horror … he had only to look at Jango Fett to understand, even though Galidraan was far different … but Grievous was hurting the wrong people. If he truly wanted revenge for what was done to him, he could have dismantled what remained of what would have become the Empire. Instead, he was lashing out against those whom he believed should have stopped Sidious sooner.

Obi-Wan's comm crackled and he answered immediately, "I'm here, Cody, go ahead." He quickly learned that his Field Marshal was on his way back from a settlement Grievous attacked with his MagnaDroids … and out of the entire settlement, there was only one survivor. A child, who seemed to be no more than eight years old. Cody found one of the MagnaDroids preparing to take the boy's life when he located the little one's shelter. The Droid was destroyed, naturally … unfortunately, so was the village, and the little boy's parents died protecting him. Obi-Wan closed his eyes, any hope of reaching Grievous-as-he-was vanishing. But right now, his focus had to be on the child whose entire existence was shattered. Clearing his throat, he answered, "Understood, Cody. I'll meet you in the infirmary."

He nodded to Ahsoka and Rex, the latter of whom brought several members of the 501st with him on this mission, before heading swiftly to the infirmary, exchanging greetings with several troopers in the hallway. In the years since Lady Sidious fell to the combined rage of an orphaned Mando'ade and a father who believed his daughter was dead, Obi-Wan slowly found it easier not to react whenever he encountered a vod who died in the false memories. They still lost far too many men to the war, but not as many as they could have … and none to Pong Krell's insanity.

And while Order 66 was implanted in _Obi-Wan's_ consciousness, there _was _a chip in the heads of the vode, and there _was_ an order to wipe out the Jedi once Sidious had what she wanted. That didn't happen, but no one was taking any chances with the lives of the Jedi or the lives of the clones. All of the vode were successfully de-chipped, but unfortunately, now Obi-Wan wasn't the only one having nightmares about what could have been. For some reason, as they were de-chipped, the clones began to remember the order that would have turned them into meat clankers and against their Jedi. Obi-Wan lost track of how many times he comforted one of his men after a nightmare, how many times he reassured Cody that he hadn't hurt him, that he was very much alive. That, combined with the Order 66 that led Obi-Wan to impale himself on his own lightsaber, resulted in his men being even more protective of Obi-Wan. That was part of why he had men from both the 501st and the 212th on this particular mission.

He shook those dark thoughts off, and entered the infirmary, where Kix was checking over a small, dark-haired boy. Cody sat beside him on the bed, a gentle hand resting on the boy's nearest shoulder. Kix looked up, nodding and greeting him with, "General, thanks for getting here so quickly. This is Din Djarin, the youngling we found … Din, this is General Obi-Wan Kenobi. He's our commanding officer." The little boy looked at Obi-Wan, and the stark devastation in his brown eyes broke the Jedi's heart. That expression should never be on the face of a child. Unfortunately, that wasn't how the universe worked … how any universe worked.

Still, he offered the boy a gentle smile, saying, "Hello there. Welcome to our humble home away from home." He paused as the child nodded a bit numbly, and Obi-Wan continued, "Do you have … did your parents have any family, Din? Someone who can come for you?" He didn't want to make the wound in his heart any bigger, but unfortunately, the questions were necessary if they were to take proper care of the youngling. The boy shook his head, fresh tears spilling down his face, and with aching tenderness, Obi-Wan brushed those tears away with his thumbs, murmuring, "I am so sorry, little one. I wish we knew about the danger your community faced sooner. You'll come with us, then. Cody, do we still have those extra clothes from the cadets' introductory tour? It'll take several days for us to return to Coruscant, and young Din certainly can't live in these clothes."

"We do, General, and I anticipated that issue. Waxer and Boil are already hunting down the spare clothes, and putting together some food. What about quarters?" Cody asked, gently squeezing the boy's shoulder. Obi-Wan wasn't sure if his Field Marshal noticed, but the child leaned into the touch, his small hand coming up to cover Cody's much larger hand, as if to anchor himself in place. Poor child, Obi-Wan couldn't imagine the horrors he'd been through (yes, he could, all too well … Melida/Daan may have played out differently in reality, but it still happened … Cerasi still died in his arms, even as his father and master held him in turn).

"He could stay with you, Commander … you do have command quarters. You might need to tidy up, I do believe you have as many datapads in your quarters as I have in my own, but I think Din would be most comfortable there. He does seem to have taken a liking to you," Obi-Wan observed. He didn't really like talking about the child as if he wasn't there, but while the little boy's body was present, Obi-Wan didn't think the rest of him was. Maybe that was for the best, at least for the moment. Everyone dealt with trauma differently. Besides, he clearly felt safe with Cody. As he had reason to know, one of the most important things a traumatized child needed, after the basic essentials of life, was to feel safe.

And he didn't think he was imagining Cody's reaction to his suggestion. He _wanted_ to take in their traumatized war orphan. Like Jango Fett himself, like so many of his brothers, Cody was a soft touch for younglings (to be honest, he spoiled Luke, Leia, and Miya absolutely rotten, and he was thoroughly unrepentant about it). Over the years, especially since the war ended on paper, Cody never once asked anything for himself. For his brothers, yes … for the children still on Kamino, absolutely. But nothing for himself, and while Obi-Wan couldn't see the future, he did believe Cody and Din could be good for each other. It wasn't as if Cody had no support … he had the support of the entire Temple, plus the entirety of the 212th.

If this was something that Cody wanted, and something Din felt comfortable with, then Obi-Wan would find a way to make it happen. Kix said softly, "If you want to go ahead and take him to your quarters, Commander, I'm finished with my exam. He's fine … shaken, a bit bruised and somewhat dehydrated, but nothing some rest and lots of liquids won't cure. I'm sure the general won't mind if you take your time and get him settled." Obi-Wan nodded to Cody, who slid down from the bed and gently scooped up the child, settling him on his hip and carrying him from the infirmary. Kix watched them go, saying softly, "That boy will need a lot of help and support. They both will." Ah. So Kix saw it too. Of course he did.

Obi-Wan answered, his voice equally quiet, "They'll both have it. Which means we need to do some planning, you and I." Kix's expression lit up, and he gestured to his desk. Obi-Wan took a seat opposite the CMO, continuing, "My biggest concern is the legalities. Thanks to Bail, you and your brothers are full citizens of the Republic now, but there will be questions about … so many things. If we prepare now …" He didn't finish his sentence. He didn't need to.

SWSWSWSWSWSW

Field Marshal Cody Fett carried the exhausted rescuee into his quarters. As the general noted, there were many … many datapads in his quarters, but fortunately, most of those were at his small desk, rather than on his bed. He eased the child onto the bed … except the boy didn't want to let him go, whimpering a little as his fingers curled into his armor. Cody considered his options for a few moments. The general said to take his time and get Din settled (actually, Kix said that, but the general agreed). This was getting Din settled. So, Cody maneuvered the little boy carefully on the bed, before sliding in behind him and pulling the child against his chest.

It probably would have been better to strip down to his bodyglove, but he had the sense the boy wouldn't have let go of him long enough to do that. As it was, as soon as he was curled against Cody, Din began to weep softly and Cody's heart broke again for the child. He began to stroke the dark head tucked against his chest. He'd comforted his younger brothers before, the shinies who'd managed to survive their first battle, the cadets who feared they wouldn't be good enough. But they were his vod'ika … not like this boy (and Cody tried to forget that technically speaking, he really wasn't that much older than Din).

And this was different, because this wasn't a shiny trying to come to terms with his first battle, or a cadet who feared he would be culled if he wasn't good enough … this was a little boy, a natural-born, who lost his parents, the two most important people in the world to him. Cody didn't have parents … he had the decanting tube, and he had Jango Fett. Until he met his Jedi, the only family he had were his brothers. It wasn't until he met Obi-Wan, met his wife and children (Leia, especially, was fond of climbing all over Cody and whatever brothers she encountered, while Luke was more interested in asking Cody whatever questions popped into his head … Miya was showing signs of being more like her older brother, but Cody had no illusions that she couldn't be just as dangerous as her older sister), that he had any idea of how natural-born's families worked. He thought of Luke or Leia or Miya mourning either or both of their parents, and fought back a surge of grief of his own.

He didn't hush Din as the little boy wept. Instead, he carded his fingers through the dark hair, not so different from his own, murmuring, "I'm here, ad'ika … you aren't alone, I promise you're not alone." At last, the sobs began to slow down, and so did the boy's breathing. His fingers began to relax and Cody was relieved that he was falling asleep. Still, he continued to whisper reassurances, that Din wasn't alone and never would be alone.

He didn't want to admit the yearning that flared up in his chest when Din leaned into him, when his smaller hand came up to cover Cody's much larger, but it was there, nonetheless. In the years since Jango Fett's death, he'd learned one of the reasons he accepted the contract as the clone template was the death of his wife Alazne. Her death when Boba was only a few months old rang the death knell he had of hopes for more children … something he truly wanted. That explained why the clones came into being, insofar as Fett was concerned … it did not, however, remove Cody's bitterness toward the man. If they were his children, as Boba was, then …

Cody shook his head. It no longer mattered. While he hadn't forgiven Fett entirely, he was grateful to the man for the general's life, and he did regard Boba as a little brother (even though he was actually older than Cody). And for the first time, he felt that same drive that led his brothers to take Numa as their own … the same drive that led other units to all but adopt their padawan commanders (the 212th never really adopted Anakin Skywalker, as he was almost a knight when they met him). The trouble was, would he be permitted to take Din? Cody could see so many reasons potentially why he wouldn't be permitted to become a guardian to Din. And even more importantly, would Din _want_ Cody as his new guardian? He could ask the general if he could be the boy's temporary guardian. It wouldn't surprise him if his Jedi already knew what Cody wanted. He had a terrifying ability to work things like that on his own.

They lay like that for hours … Din curled against Cody's chest, Cody's arms wrapped firmly, protectively, around the youngling. Sometime later, Cody wasn't entirely sure when, he fell asleep as well. And when he next awakened, he was lying on his back, and Din was sprawled over his chest. Something that surprised (and relieved) Cody. He would have been afraid of rolling over on top of the child and squishing him.

A tiny voice asked, "What's that mean? Ad'ika, I mean?" Startled, Cody raised his head, just enough to look Din in the eyes. He hadn't even realized the boy was awake … and his brain was still coming online. The kid repeated, "What does ad'ika mean? You called me that." Oh. Yes. He supposed he did use Mandalorian, in addition to Basic. He shifted a little, keeping one hand on Din's back as he made himself a little more comfortable.

"It means … the way I was using it … it means 'little one.' If I were to call you 'ner ad'ika,' that would be 'my little one.' It's called Mandalorian, the mother tongue of the Mando'ade. And before you ask, that means 'children of Mandalore,' ad'ika," Cody answered. Unexpectedly, the little boy smiled … most likely the first time he smiled since Cody found him. Obviously, Cody didn't bring that to his attention, because he knew Din would soon enough start questioning if he was betraying the memories of his parents by smiling or laughing.

That, however, wasn't the next thing out of Din's mouth (something for which Cody was extremely grateful). Instead, he asked, "What happens to me now?" His voice was in danger of breaking again, and Cody rubbed his back. He thought about how to answer the child, who'd already lost so much. But before he could begin to formulate a response, Din innocently drove the air of his lungs by adding, "Could I stay with you?"

"I … I don't know, Din. I don't know if they'd allow that. Would … would you like to stay with me?" Cody asked hesitantly, and Din nodded fiercely, something that left the commander totally wrong-footed. How … how could he even know such a thing? For he knew, Cody might make the worst father/guardian ever created (for all Cody knew, he might make the worst father/guardian in the universe). He asked, "Why?"

The boy was on the verge of answering, but it was then that Cody's comm link went off. Hugging Din a little tighter, Cody answered and was greeted with General Kenobi's, "Commander, when you're able, bring our young guest to the quartermaster. Some alternative clothing was found for him, but we need to check the sizes." Cody eased Din off his chest before sitting up and telling the general they were on their way. And as they walked, Cody couldn't get Din's question out of his head. Could he stay with Cody? Why would he want to? Would they allow that? (If there was a way, Cody's general would find it).

SWSWSWSWSW

Jedi Temple

Coruscant

Cody probably wouldn't have been surprised that his general was already working on his behalf. He would, however, have been surprised to learn that as one of the youngest Councilors, Obi-Wan Kenobi brought his desire to take in Din Djarin to the High Council itself. And he would have been very surprised to learn that while he slept, that same High Council was already putting the infrastructure in place to do just that. His fellow Councilors may have been surprised, in turn, that Obi-Wan picked up on Cody's desire to become the boy's new guardian, but those who knew Obi-Wan best were not.

At the top of that list were Mace Windu and the former Grand Master of the Jedi Temple, Yoda. They'd come to realize over the last few years that all of their clones were hard-wired to take care of children, in one form or another. The clones were actually the creche master's favorite assistants, and the Order even had some clones teaching classes. So cutting through the red tape for a clone commander and newly-orphaned child was far easier than Cody might have thought. Especially since as a passenger on the Negotiator, little Din Djarin was technically already under the care of a Jedi. The request to name Cody Fett as Din Djarin's legal guardian had already been submitted to the Order's lawyers.

There were still many senators in the Galactic Senate … in the Galactic Republic, period … who would happily see the clones returned to a legal status barely above a slave … who would certainly deny Cody's petition to raise a natural-born human child. It infuriated and sickened Mace Windu … but it was what it was, and he couldn't do anything to change the minds of those beings. However, he could ensure that both Cody and Din were protected, regardless. Others might doubt Cody Fett, but Mace, like Obi-Wan himself, felt that Din would be safe, loved, and happy with Cody.

Yoda, though no longer the Grand Master, still had a great deal of influence with the Order lawyers … and he was firmly in favor of this plan, for reasons he hadn't explained yet. Then again, they were all used to that. And as the new Grand Master, Mace had pull of his own … pull he had no hesitation whatsoever in using. It was generally acknowledged that the place to start was by making the boy officially a ward of the Jedi Order. Not a particularly complicated issue, since the Jedi had been taking in war orphans since the official end of the war.

It began with the innocent question from Boba Fett, himself a war orphan in a way (his father in fact died in the most important battle of the war, even if most people were unaware of it) … but that innocent question led to so much more. It was, Plo Koon observed, not just a way to save their men and save the innocent children who had their worlds turn apart by the war … but a way for the Jedi to save themselves. The physical danger posed by Order Sixty-six (the threat of being destroyed by one of their own, a young man who could well be the greatest of his generation) … that was passed. But the danger to their hearts and souls, the damage taken to their souls during a war that should have never been fought, by the Jedi, by the clones, by anyone … that remained. And that damage needed to be healed.

Some sought atonement, redemption, healing … even sanctuary … by retreating to the AgriCorps. In the years since a teenaged Mace carried an infant Obi-Wan to his comatose father, all of the Service Corps were restructured. Some younglings chose of their own free will, after much meditation and counseling, to join the Service Corps … but an even greater number of Knights and Masters began taking rotations in the Service Corps. For many, the healing to be found in helping things to grow could not be dismissed or denied. Such was the case with Pong Krell, who was haunted by dreams of his own … and Mace's own former padawan, Depa Billaba, who herself retreated to the Explorer Corps early in the war.

In turn, many clones followed their former generals to the various Service Corps … whether Exploration or AgriCorps. They were just as in need of healing as their Jedi … perhaps even more. The Jedi, after all, knew lives of peace, in some cases … while the clones only knew war. A somewhat disturbing possibility occurred to Mace … not one that he truly believed, especially not after seeing the false past Sidious had constructed to try to destroy Obi-Wan. Even so, he asked Yoda, "I know why I support Cody becoming the boy's guardian, but why do you?"

Yoda's ears flattened against his head as he replied, "Told Obi-Wan, I did … therapy animals, children are NOT. Use this child to heal the commander's heart … not my wish, this is. But … important, this child will be. Important to the Jedi … important to the children of Mandalore. Heal each other, they can. But … caring for the boy, Cody's responsibility this is. NOT the child's responsibility, Cody's welfare is." Mace nodded his agreement. He never truly believed that Yoda was repeating the mistakes of his false counterpart … but he did need to know why Yoda supported this. Mace was the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order … and the clones were now de facto members of the Order. They were family.

"If Obi-Wan is right … and I'd be very surprised if he's wrong about this … then Cody will have the full support of the Order, in every way imaginable," Mace promised. He paused, then thought of all the vod. With a snicker that no one would have believed they'd hear from him even a few years earlier, he added, "Actually, that kid is going to belong to the largest family known to the universe … the ultimate Jedi-Mando hybrid clan." Yoda's ears perked up at that, and Mace could have groaned, because he just _knew_ the little green troll was plotting.

Then again, he wouldn't be Yoda if he didn't plot.

TBC


	3. Chapter 2: What's Left of the Past

Author's Notes: So … a few quick announcements before I get started. Three weeks ago, our family expanded once again, with the birth of my niece's baby girl. My new great-niece's name is Isabella Rose, and the name fits her perfectly. She is just so precious, I can't even. So now, I have two great-nephews and two great-nieces, ranging in age from four years to three weeks. Also, in twenty days, I'll be leaving for a week in New Zealand. I am actually beside myself, because I'm renting a little cottage on the beach for my annual overseas trip this year (before you ask, yes, I'm already thinking seriously about next year's trip … it's a toss between Munich, Germany and Basel, Switzerland … I'm leaning toward the latter, because I lived in Germany as a child, and I've never been to Switzerland). So, in this chapter, Ahsoka makes her first appearance in this particular story; Din tries on new clothes and makes some discoveries; Obi-Wan keeps an eye on the future; while Asajj makes preparations of her own.

Chapter Two

What's Left of the Past

The Negotiator

A Few Hours Later

"Well … it's far better than I hoped for. Then again, I forgot that I was talking to Waxer and Boil, rather than Skyguy. The last time he had an unexpected child on his ship, he cut up a pillowcase to use it as a tunic," Ahsoka Tano observed in an undertone, smiling a bit at her master's exasperated look. Mainly because even his exasperation couldn't hide his affection for her, or for her older brother-padawan, or for their men. Right now, they, along those men, sat in the galley as their unexpected little guest came out from the kitchen to demonstrate what he was wearing (Ahsoka called it 'modeling.' Master Obi-Wan just rolled his eyes at her).

Once the boy and Cody reached the galley, the youngling froze up. Just … froze. And then he began to hyperventilate, tears streaming down his face and small shoulders trembling. Cody eased him into a chair, cupping the small face in his hands and resting his forehead against the boy's. Ahsoka looked up at her master, more than a little confused over what was happening, but Master Obi-Wan just shook his head, eyes filled with sadness. As Cody gently drew the story out of the boy, neither speaking loudly enough for even a Jedi's enhanced hearing, Master Obi-Wan reached out through their bond and explained to Ahsoka that the clothes he was wearing were all Din had left of his parents … something Ahsoka never even considered. Her master went on to explain that Cody was telling his little ward that this was a temporary measure, that he needed to clean up and his clothes needed a washing as well.

Around them, the vod maintained a respectful silence, not a one of them protesting or 'whispering' that they needed to get back to work. There were maybe twenty of them, all of them men who tried to protect, and then save, Din's village. Maybe she should have seen it earlier, but their men already regarded Din as 'theirs.' And it made sense, once she stopped and thought about it … Master Obi-Wan told her about what their 'training' entailed on Kamino, about what happened to the vod who were different or defective, at least until Master Shaak Ti got involved. It made the brothers all the more protective of each other, and anyone who happened to fall into their orbit (well, anyone who wasn't shooting at them), anyone who became theirs … as Master Obi-Wan did, as Ahsoka did, and now Din.

Once the little boy was reassured that he wasn't being asked to cast aside all he had left of his parents (and Ahsoka made a mental note to ask Master Obi-Wan if any of the men was able to retrieve anything from the village, things that Din could take with him, wherever he ended up), their new ward took a large armload of clothes into the kitchen, Rex trailing behind him to help, while Cody and the others waited outside. Rex emerged after a few minutes with the sweat and smoke-filled clothing, dumping them into the arms of a shiny who hadn't yet taken a name, before retreating back into the kitchen in case Din needed him. That was almost twenty minutes earlier, and Din was coming to the end of the clothing parade.

On her other side, Cody was focused more on the youngling than anything else, and for the first time, Ahsoka reflected on Cody's part in all of this. That … it was a bit unexpected. Out of all the vod, Cody was the last person she would have expected to take a youngling under his wing. However, she noticed that Master Obi-Wan didn't seem surprised at all. Then again, as Rexster often put it, Cody had Master Obi-Wan, Asajj and the babies to take care of … he probably focused on that, more than anything else, at least until he rescued the little boy even now modeling the current size for them. Her master's field marshal observed, "That looks fine, Din, but I just realized … is it comfortable? Space can be very cold, and we're more concerned with you being comfortable than with the way the uniforms look on you."

"Uhm … I wasn't sure if I was cold or if there was something wrong?" the little boy asked, a bit worriedly. That … brought Ahsoka up short. This child had never been off his planet before. According to Master Obi-Wan, his parents were his only family and they, along with the entire village, were dead. The people on the Negotiator, both clones and Jedi, were his family now. No matter who ended up being Din's guardian, that made him Ahsoka's little brother. With that understanding, Ahsoka left her master's side and knelt before her new brother.

"That's just the way space is," she answered gently, "and if you're cold, tell us. You're a bit small to wear a bodyglove like the v … like our men do, but we can figure something out. We're very good at figuring things out." Especially Master Obi-Wan. Din nodded at her slowly, his brown eyes large and anxious. Ahsoka's throat tightened, and it took all she had not to pull him into her arms, the way she would with Luke and Leia when they had a nightmare. She had to be careful with this little boy. While she now realized that he was her little brother, he wasn't quite ready to accept that. Or a lot of other things, for that matter.

"I … I'm cold," the boy finally admitted. Ahsoka noticed Rexster whisper something to the same shiny who just returned without Din's old clothes. The younger vod nodded and retreated once more. Cody gestured to the little boy, who trundled over to their commander. Cody pulled him into his arms, holding Din tightly as the youngster curled up on his lap. Master Obi-Wan put his hand on Ahsoka's shoulder, gently drawing her away from the pair.

He said softly, "While Din is trying on the new clothes, there's something I need you to do, padawan. The records from the villages were downloaded from the capital city, and I need you to cross-reference all the records we have to make sure Din doesn't have any additional family on the planet or off. I will not see Cody's heart broken, nor will I permit the old Jedi reputation of stealing babies to return." Ahsoka sucked in a breath, not just at the quiet determination in her master's voice, but at the equal fury in his bright blue eyes. She never understood how anyone could think the Jedi were unemotional. Maybe they didn't show emotions the others did, but the clues were there, if you bothered to look. Maybe that was the problem … so many people never bothered to look.

Still, she said, "Of course, Master." She didn't say that she hoped she wouldn't find anything. She didn't say that she would cross-reference everything in every way possible. He already knew that … he already knew all of that. He smiled at her gently and released her shoulder, allowing her to head back to the bridge, Rexster falling into step beside her.

SWSWSWSWSWSW

Space was cold. Cody made him feel safe. Master Kenobi was unbelievably kind. These were a few of the things Din learned over the last few hours, ever since Cody brought him on board the Negotiator (he'd also learned that the things that attacked his village were called MagnaDroids, that they were monsters, and while he was uncomfortable around droids, he did like a tiny R2 unit called R2D2, and which Ahsoka called Artooey). He wasn't entirely sure about Ahsoka, though she did seem to be as kind as Master Kenobi (or as Cody kept calling him, General). He also knew that he was still frightened, even though he felt safe with Cody, and that he wanted his parents, even though they were dead.

And Din still struggled with that. His parents were dead … they were gone, he was never going to see them again. He would never feel his mother's fingers weaving through his hair, would never hear his father's mock growls as he chased Din around their house … would never fall asleep against his father's shoulder or listen to his mother's singing. He choked back a sob and buried his face against Cody's armor. He hadn't thought (couldn't think) of the neighbors he'd never see again (couldn't think their names, couldn't let their deaths be real, too). Cody, for his own part, tightened his arms around Din. He didn't tell him that everything would be all right. He didn't say anything … just held Din in a firm grip.

"I think that's enough for today. We'll make alterations on the other clothes, so that he'll have something to wear until we get back to Coruscant. Cody … take your little one back to your quarters. I think he's had enough for now … and we'll bring some food to you, he'll eventually want to eat," General Kenobi said softly. There was a soft, 'thank you, general,' and then Cody was pushing himself to his feet, still holding Din tightly. There was a chorus of good nights, sleep well kiddos, and more than a few times, his hair was ruffled. Din, however, never budged from his position in Cody's arms.

Eventually, they reached Cody's quarters, and Din was placed on the bed and covered up. Cody sat on the bed beside him, saying softly, "You get some sleep, ad'ika. There's some work I need to do, but I'll be right here if you need me … I won't leave your sight. Well, unless I need to use the 'fresher." Din couldn't help huffing a laugh at that, and Cody ruffled his hair again, before repeating, "Sleep, little one. I'll be here."

It was stupid, maybe, since he'd only met Cody that day, but Din found it very hard to close his eyes … he was afraid that if he closed his eyes, Cody would disappear. Like his parents, like his neighbors (don't think their names, don't imagine their faces). But eventually, his eyes drifted closed and he slept. And at first, it was peaceful … no dreams, no memories. But only at first. Then the memories came, and with the memories came the dreams … dreams Din would never let himself remember, not even as an adult … dreams that had him bolting upright, gasping for breath, mouth open wide to unleash a scream …

Only to have a comforting set of arms slip around him and draw him against a chest covered with plastic. Cody's voice was soft, whispering, "It's all right, I have you, you're safe … they can never hurt you again, I promise." Din clung to Cody with all of his strength. Only weeks earlier, even days earlier, even hours earlier … earlier that day, before the monsters came, if either of his parents rocked him as they held him, as Cody rocked him now, he would have protested that he wasn't a baby. There were no protests from him now, because he desperately needed this, needed to be held and comforted … needed to know that Cody would not let go.

Cody didn't ask about his dream. Didn't say really anything, just held onto Din until his trembling ceased. Then, Cody pulled back, just a little, and asked, "Do you think you can sleep more?" Din needed only a few seconds to consider that before shaking his head vehemently. Cody went on, "What about eating? Nothing fancy, I promise, just some soup … and you can eat as much or as little as you like." Din didn't feel like eating, but if he at least ate broth, he couldn't make too much of a mess if it came back up. He nodded hesitantly and was rewarded with a gentle smile from his guardian.

As Din ate, Cody began to explain to him what would be happening next, what he could expect. They would reach Coruscant in about a ten-day, and according to Cody, he would live in the Jedi Temple for a time. The standard policy in this case was to verify that there were no additional relatives that the child wasn't aware of … something that was for the protection of any would-be guardians as well as the child. Spoonful after spoonful of the soup went into the boy's mouth, barely cognizant of what he was doing, as he listened to the man … until Cody said with a pleased smile, "You ate it all. Good job, ad'ika."

Din blinked, looked down at the empty bowl, and then looked up at Cody in astonishment. The commander went on, "Do you think you could rest a little more?" Actually … Din was feeling more than a bit sleepy. Cody said, "Then lay back down. I'll stay here. The general's orders were to watch over you, and that's exactly what I'm going to do." He paused, his eyes suddenly sad, and he added, "And I would do that even if he hadn't told me to." Din wondered if he should ask … but decided since Cody didn't make him think about the nightmare, he wouldn't ask what made Cody sad. Not yet, at least.

SWSWSWSWSW

Jedi Temple

Coruscant

Same Day

"Poor child … do we have any idea why Grievous went after that particular planet? In the past, he's targeted worlds that had some meaning to the Jedi, but it doesn't seem to be the case this time," Asajj Ventress-Kenobi observed, arms folded over her chest as she listened to her husband. Part of her consciousness, as ever, was attuned to cries from her newborn daughter. Boba was out with Han Solo, one of the newest members of their odd little family, while the twins were having their daily lessons with the other children in their creche clan. Oh, and Anakin was with Jasleen, but that went without saying these days. Right now, it was just Asajj and Miya, and her baby girl was down for a nap.

The small blue figure of her husband aboard the Negotiator answered with a sigh, "No clue whatsoever. So far as we knew, so far as the planet government knew, it was a natural disaster. It wasn't until we got to the planet and saw the MagnaDroids that we realized things were far more dangerous. Cody is looking after him … just as a precaution, I have Ahsoka verifying that he has no additional family. We both know there could easily be a sister or brother whom either parent hasn't spoken to for many years. I don't want any surprises cropping up to break Cody or that child's hearts." Asajj nodded. Once Sidious was taken off the board, that was one of the first things the Order did, thanks to a suggestion from one of the younger knights.

In the wake of Sidious' death, while Obi-Wan was recovering, Master Windu opened a forum in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, to explain the circumstances behind the Sith bitch's rise to power and what the Jedi Order would be doing moving forward. That, in turn, gave rise to several of the knights sharing issues that kept coming up in the field, even before the war started. This particular young knight, not much younger than Asajj, explained that one of the biggest problems she encountered in the field was misinformation … especially the old lie about Jedi stealing children from their parents. After it was discussed by the Council (including Obi-Wan, once he was recovered and took his seat on the Council), it was decided that once the names were redacted, Finders Records would be released to the general public.

No one needed to know the names of the children or the planets, but they could be informed of those odd cases where children were taken from their parents without permission … cases where the children were being abused or neglected. (Included in the records released to the public was what would happen to any Jedi who took children from their parents or legal guardians without permission … or even worse, forcibly. Those consequences were devastating). She kept her own thoughts about Obi-Wan's wish to save Grievous to herself. Her husband knew what she thought, and she knew what he thought, and they weren't the same. Besides, this wasn't about her, or Obi-Wan, or even Grievous right now … this was about Din Djarin, a little boy who just lost his parents and everything he ever knew (because of Grievous).

Besides, she knew that Obi-Wan was slowly starting to accept that she was right about Grievous, that he didn't want to be saved, that he didn't want to go back to who he was. He couldn't undo what Sidious did to him … no one could … but he could still choose to protect his people. He didn't want to do that. He wanted to make the universe burn, wanted to watch it burn. More than once, Asajj wondered if her husband was so set on saving Grievous because of what happened to Anakin in the false reality. And then, Asajj thought of her dream self, the Asajj who had done so much to hurt so many people, including (especially) the man she loved, the father of her children, one of the great blessings of her life. She tried not to think of the other Asajj, but sometimes, when she heard about a new atrocity by Grievous … her other self came to her mind. It frightened her, because she could so easily see herself going down that path, if Master Yan and Obi-Wan hadn't found her, if, if, if. Her brother-padawan, the late Qui-Gon Jinn, would have likely told her that she couldn't think about the 'if,' she had to live in the now. And she knew he would have been right (but that wouldn't have prevented her from punching him and potentially breaking his nose. Again).

And, as she always did when her mother was thinking about it, Miya woke up and began crying. All three of their children were Force sensitive, naturally, but Miya … Miya always sensed when someone, especially one of her parents, was distressed … or worried. She could sense when any of her elder siblings were distressed, whether they had the Force or not, but her bond with her parents was much stronger. Asajj never really worked in the creche after Master Yan and Obi-Wan brought her to the Temple, and the twins were never this sensitive to moods once they were born. She flashed an apologetic smile toward her husband, who waved her off with a small smile. Banishing the thoughts of the false reality (because it wasn't real, it didn't matter), Asajj strode into the nursery, sweeping her infant daughter into her arms, whispering gentle reassurances and peppering her little face with kisses.

She carried the baby back into the living area, smiling as Miya squealed at the sight of her father and made grabby hands for him, pouting more than a little when she only got thin air. She hadn't yet figured out that her papa wasn't really in the room with them, but far away. Then again, it took Luke and Leia a while to figure it out as well. Obi-Wan smiled, though, and reached back for her as he always did, saying, "Hello, my little one … are you being good for Mama? For that matter, how are the twins behaving? And Boba? Is he still running around with the little scoundrel?" Asajj laughed aloud, first at her husband's question and then at Miya trying to put her tiny fingers in her open mouth. It was one thing for babies to put their fingers into their own mouths, but Miya liked sticking her fingers in other people's mouths. Silly girl.

"The twin terrors are being themselves … they're in class right now, and I do believe we unofficially have another son. Anakin, as I'm sure thoroughly surprises you, is with Jasleen," Asajj answered. Obi-Wan just smirked, and Asajj rolled her eyes. More seriously, she added, "As soon as we finish our conversation, Miya and I are going to grab them both and start making necessary adjustments to Cody's quarters." They were, thankfully, right next door to Obi-Wan and Asajj's quarters. After Sidious activated Order 66, and Obi-Wan nearly took his own life to save his family, Cody pretty much planted himself at Obi-Wan's side and refused to leave. It took a little reshuffling, but the quarters next to the Kenobi-Skywalker-Tano residence was offered to him, and he took it without hesitation.

"Excellent. Can you think of anything I've missed? Clothing, food, shelter, Cody … I think that's everything?" Obi-Wan asked. Asajj pursed her lips, because it seemed that was everything, but at the same time, something was missing. After a moment, she gave a small shrug, and Obi-Wan added, "If there's something missed, we'll work it out. We just have to remember to remind the twins not to overwhelm Din. Oh, and warn Anakin as well. He's not permitted to play flying padawan until Din is comfortable with him." Asajj bit back the laugh that threatened to escape her throat, because yes, Anakin would do just that.

"I suspect Jasleen will help with that. Just being around her has … I wouldn't say quieted him, but maybe settled? He's very careful with her. Not to the point that she'll slap him for treating her like she's fragile, but he's very considerate with her, very aware of how much things have changed for her," she answered. That was actually part of why she was asking Jasleen's help with Cody's quarters … she knew far too well what it was like to have her world shattered and then reformed. And maybe, once the teen terrors returned from their jaunt around Coruscant, she could get Boba and Han to help out as well. Din was only a few years younger than Boba when he lost Jango. Besides, if anyone would know about what might make an eight year old boy feel at home, it would be a pair of former eight-year-olds (on the other hand, Din was traumatized … some balance would be needed).

Her musings were interrupted by Obi-Wan's regretful, "I apologize, beloved, but it appears Ahsoka has the information I requested. Yes, my dear … ah. I honestly don't know what to say. No, wait until later, Cody may not have considered the possibility that Din had family he didn't know. I know you heard that, Asajj, can you pass it along to Mace and Yoda. If I know that little green troll, he's already working on securing custody of Din for Cody." Despite the (not entirely flattering) nickname, there was only affection in her husband's voice as he spoke of his grandmaster (and hers). He flashed her a tired but warm smile, added, "I should go now. Kiss the terrors and Miya for me. I love you."

Asajj's heart jumped, as it always did when he said those words. She mouthed, 'I love you,' and blew him a kiss with her free hand. Never to be outdone, Miya repeated her mother's gesture a bit clumsily. Obi-Wan's smile brightened as he 'caught' the kiss, and then 'blew' it back to them. The communication was cut, and Asajj took a deep breath. It didn't matter that she would see him in less than a ten-day … she missed her husband, and she hated saying good-bye to him. However, there was work to be done, and she wouldn't get it done standing around here. She looked at Miya saying, "Well, let's go track down Uncle Niki and Miss Jassie, and see if they can help us make Din feel at home."

TBC

Additional Notes: Next chapter, we get to Coruscant, and the chapter following that will likely be a time-jump, featuring adult Din, adult Boba, and baby Yoda! Yes, our dear little green bean will be making his debut in this story and series very shortly. You probably already realize this, but there will be significant differences from The _Mandalorian_. Also … the additional transparency of the Order, especially regarding the Jedi guardianship of Force-sensitive children. I work at a college, and one of the biggest issues my particular office has is misinformation. The Jedi in canon had much the same issue, and it didn't occur to them to change that until it was far too late. Another way Sidious' abduction and torture of Obi-Wan ended up backfiring rather spectacularly, and saving the Jedi in this 'verse.


	4. Chapter 3: A New Home

Author's Notes: So, I am home from New Zealand; didn't do a bit of writing while I was gone. Okay, that's not entirely true, I did no writing for fanfiction, but I did work on some original short stories, ones which may not go anywhere, but maybe they will. I'll be at home for the next two weeks … on administrative leave until the laptops come in, and I can start working from home. In the meantime, I'm hoping to get more writing done. I actually thought briefly about including a _Game of Thrones_ reference, since Pedro Pascal played Oberyn Martell in the show, but decided against it (and I keep having an image of Baby Yoda showing up in the middle of Oberyn's fight with Clegane, taking one look at Oberyn, and going, 'nope, not dying today, even if he really isn't buir.' And you know, given protective the tyke is of Din, he would have no compunction about killing the Mountain himself, if it was just by stopping his heart via the Force). So, in this chapter, Din learns more about his new home; Boba makes a promise (Slade Wilson reference, FTW!), while Yoda relays troubling information from home to Mace. Next chapter will be a time jump to the Mandalorian timeframe.

Chapter Three

A New Home

Jedi Temple

Coruscant

Morning of the _Negotiator_'s return

"Ain't nobody gonna mess with him … he's ours now."

Of all the things Asajj Ventress-Kenobi expected to hear as she led Boba Fett and Han Solo into Cody Fett's quarters the morning of the Negotiator's return, that was the most unexpected. They'd known about Din ever since Asajj finished her conversation with Obi-Wan, but they hadn't kicked their plans into high gear until earlier that morning, when the Grandmaster quietly confirmed that guardianship of Din Djarin was granted to Cody Fett on a probationary period. With that news, Asajj began moving forward, and reminded the teenagers once more about the little boy who was about to become part of their family. She would have expected it from Boba … Han, not so much. But, as he became more comfortable in the Temple, he began to relax a little more and start being an actual thirteen year old, instead of the rascally mask he presented to the universe. Children who grew up a particular way wore masks as a means of survival, something she knew from personal experience.

So it didn't surprise her that Han and Boba would be very protective of the newest member of their odd family … what did surprise her was how serious Han was about it. There wasn't a hint of joking in his demeanor … just pure determination in his brown eyes. Boba was nodding in agreement, saying quietly, "We've been where he is. We'll take care of him, I promise." Something Asajj never doubted, for that reason. Han still wouldn't talk about what happened to his parents, and she was there when Jango Fett died. Din Djarin might not have seen his parents perish before his eyes, but he'd known what was happening while he was in the shelter.

"And I appreciate that more than I can say, but right now, what we need to be focusing on is how to make him feel welcome, make him feel like this could become a home to him," Asajj reassured the two boys. Anakin and Jasleen were in the room beside Cody's (what would have been the padawan's room for a Jedi Master-Padawan pair), checking to make sure everything was clean and ready for Din. It wasn't Cody they were worried about, it was the Master-Padawan pair who lived there before the commander moved in. Asajj lost count of the number of times the Master had a party in the rooms while her padawan was out. It wouldn't be much of an exaggeration to say that the woman drove Asajj absolutely insane. Cody moved in after the padawan was knighted, and the Master took a tour of duty with the AgriCorps … he took one look in the master's quarters, turned an alarming shade of red and pushed everything he could find into the padawan quarters, where it remained for the last few years.

Of course, there was no way they were about to let Din see any of that, so Anakin and Jasleen commandeered the padawan's room as their own project (knowing Anakin, he could probably figure out a way to turn a sex toy into something he could use to upgrade his various projects. If anyone could do it, it was Anakin). Asajj was handing out assignments to the two boys today as part of the final preparations for the return of the Negotiator… for all that he lived here, Cody didn't really _live_ here. His cupboards were empty … the entire apartment was empty … so, once they completed their errands, Han would be retrieving food for Cody and Din while Boba would go to the creche to see if they had any transitional items they didn't have room for, transitional items that were age-appropriate, naturally.

But before she sent the boys off on their missions, she needed to have this talk with them, needed them to understand why they were doing this. It wasn't just for Cody, though Boba and Han both loved him … it was because over the last year or so, ever since they started the program, Asajj noticed that many of the children needed to feel valued. Not just because they were war orphans, but an acknowledgement that they had gifts of their own. Han could charm anyone if he put his mind to it, and Boba was an enormous help in the creche when it came to bringing Force-sensitive and non-Force sensitive children together. That was why he was taking Miya with him once he headed to the creche, while Asajj began working in the kitchen and noting things that would make the living room more comfortable.

She added, "We don't know if Din has any food allergies, so go ahead and get a little bit of everything … that way, even if he does have allergies, we'll have back-ups, so to speak. And Han? Don't be afraid to ask for help. Especially if you happen to see one of the Wolfpack … ever since Master Koon adopted his unit, Wolffe and the others have become even more protective of their 'Jedi shinies,' even though Din likely isn't Force-sensitive."

Han grinned, eyes sparkling with mischief, and Asajj barely held back from rolling her eyes. Typical … she knew that he got along extremely well with Plo Koon and the entire Wolfpack. And if they knew he was getting food for a new shiny, Cody would have more food than he knew what to do with. Any food that triggered Din's allergies could go to someone else (probably someone in the Wolfpack … those boys would eat anything).

Boba added with a laugh that was more of a cackle than he was willing to admit, "And if you don't see them, maybe Ba'vodu Mace will help!" Much to the surprise of more than one person, the only high-ranking Jedi Master who got along better with Han (aside from Plo and Obi-Wan) was their new Grandmaster. It seemed they were more alike than they were different, and in the time since Han arrived in the Temple, he could often be found at the Grandmaster's side.

Han, however, just smirked and retorted, "Well, I'll have plenty of help … you'll be carrying the stuff from the creche in your hands, and Master Yoda on your shoulders." Boba just shoved at Han's shoulder … that was all he did, because Asajj hit both boys with her fiercest glare. No. They would not start that, not in Cody's apartment. Boba desisted immediately and whatever Han was about to do … he decided against.

Still, that didn't prevent Boba from firing back, "Yeah, of course Master Yoda likes me … I'm his great-grandson!" Asajj didn't hold back from rolling her eyes this time; she put one hand on each boy's head, forcing her to look at them (Han sometimes joked that she was sucking knowledge out of his brain that way). Boba sighed, "Yes, ma'am, I know. Whatever I can bring back, and yes, I'm allowed to ask my brothers for help."

"Good. Now, off you go … and don't even think about coming back empty-handed, you know I'll follow up to make sure you two didn't go carousing about Coruscant," Asajj warned. The boys stuck their tongues out at each other before speeding out of the quarters. She shook her head, running her fingers through her unbound blonde hair. She looked at her baby daughter, who was lying on a cushion in the middle of the floor. Kneeling down, she scooped up Miya into her arms, murmuring, "They're silly, aren't they? Now, my girl, what shall we do?"

SWSWSWSWSW

"Ready, ad'ika?"

Was he ready? Din Djarin swallowed hard as he looked around the ship that had been his home for the last ten-day. His fingers tightened around Cody's hand convulsively. It wasn't home, but it also was. This was where he began learning Mandalorian, where Ba'vodu Kix began teaching him about healing, where the other vod began including him in their pranks, where Master Obi-Wan and Ahsoka explained to him about the Jedi, the Clones, about the war … and by extension, why his parents were dead. It was them who explained about Lady Sidious and about General Grievous, and about what the former had done to the latter (even that couldn't explain the why of it to him satisfactorily … they didn't harm him, she did … so why blame them?)

But … did he really want to stay on the Negotiator? It wasn't that he wanted to be away from the vod and Master Obi-Wan … not at all! He liked them (he thought he might even love Master Obi-Wan as he was starting to love Cody … like Cody, Din felt safe with Master Obi-Wan)! He just … he missed being outside, he missed being able to breathe fresh air. It was just … he learned this morning that as a war orphan, he was legally a ward of the Jedi Order, and as such, probationary guardianship of him was granted to Cody. He asked softly, "And you're sure that I won't be taken away from you?"

Cody dropped to his knees in front of Din, resting his large hands on Din's shoulders, answering, "The only way you'll be taken away from me is if I ever hurt you deliberately, or if I don't take proper care of you. And then, if that happens, you'll still live at the Temple, just with someone else. Maybe the general, maybe someone else … but no. That's the only circumstance where you'll be taken from me … and if someone else should try, like the Senate or some well-meaning busybody … they'll have to go through the Order to do it."

"The Order and the entire GAR. You're one of us now, Din … and with the changes the Order has made in transparency in the last few years, it would not be in the best interest of anyone to try to say that we stole or kidnapped you," Master Obi-Wan added, crouching beside Cody. That was actually one of the first things he learned from Master Obi-Wan and Ahsoka … the truth about Jedi being baby-stealers. Din heard very little about Jedi in his tiny village, but Ahsoka explained that there were worlds where Jedi weren't welcomed because they were regarded as baby-stealers … and that Mandalorian and Jedi had a complicated relationship.

_You see_, Ahsoka explained, _there are people who fear anyone who is Force sensitive. They … they've been known to hurt children, even their own children, who are Force sensitive. Now, under normal circumstances, the Jedi are not permitted to simply take Force-sensitive children away from their parents or guardians … we have to have permission. That permission is necessary, because it builds trust, and without trust … without trust, people turn against you. Friendships and alliances fall apart._

Din nodded his understanding, and Ahsoka went on, _Are there Jedi who ignore the rules? Of course. You get good and bad people in all groups. My padawan-uncle, Qui-Gon Jinn … he was a rule-breaker, a maverick. Not a bad man, but … He and Master Obi-Wan were my padawan-brother Anakin's Finders. He actually wanted to take Anakin for the Jedi, even if Anakin's mother, Aunt Shmi, didn't agree to let him go. Master Obi-Wan doesn't talk about that a lot, because he doesn't think you should speak ill of the dead, but Uncle Cliegg told me once. Master Jinn was trying to manipulate Aunt Shmi … Master Obi-Wan caught him, and reminded him of the consequences if he tried to take Anakin without Aunt Shmi's permission._

Consequences? Those weren't just for children, like him? Ahsoka must have seen the surprise in his expression, for she nodded and explained, _Consequences. Any Jedi who is found to have illegally taken a Force-sensitive youngling from their legal parents or guardians, without proof that the child was being abused or neglected, will face severe censure. They won't be cast out of the Order, because the fear is that a lone Jedi will be more vulnerable to Falling, but they will face censure, and they will be forced to take at least one tour of duty in the Jedi Corps. _

Here, she had to explain to him what the Jedi Corps were … something that absolutely enthralled Din. Jedi who weren't Knights, who used their abilities to heal worlds and explore the universe? Ahsoka smiled at his reaction, continuing_, Upon their return, they are evaluated by a Healer. But even one instance of illegally taking a child from their parents or guardian removes any possibility that that knight or master may ever take a padawan. To the Council, they've proven that they can't be trusted with a child. They are also banned from any involvement with children … which means they pretty much stay planet-side or take a permanent tour of duty with the Exploration Corps. The only children they're permitted to be around are the children in the Creche, and that's only with the permission of the Creche Master. You see, Din … it's not just that taking a child from the legal parent or guardian is kidnapping. It is. But it also demonstrates that this particular Jedi is arrogant and believes the laws don't apply. And with the power we have … well.. A Jedi with that level of power and that level of arrogance can be every bit as dangerous as Lady Sidious … and no Jedi worthy of the name wants __**that**__._

And that was why Master Obi-Wan asked Ahsoka to verify that Din had no aunts, uncles, cousins, or grandparents. Because as a war orphan, Din was now a ward of the Jedi, and if Master Obi-Wan hadn't checked, he could have been taken away from Cody. Din looked back at his new guardian, who was still watching him quietly, patiently. Din asked softly, "Can we come back to the Negotiator? Will I see my uncles again?"

"Every day if you like, ad'ika. You'll actually probably get sick of seeing us!" Boil observed, laughing. Din laughed, ignoring Cody's muttered, '_I know I do_.' Boil snarked, "Are you sure you want to stay with this stick in the mud, Din? We're a lot more fun than he is. Hey!" This was said in reaction to Rex bopping him on the head. Din giggled at that. He was finding it easier to laugh. Master Obi-Wan explained to him that no, laughing and smiling was not betraying his parents. They died to keep him safe, to make sure he would have a future where he _could _be happy. Hearing his laughter would be the best gift he could give them. Din wasn't sure about that … he still felt guilty whenever he laughed or whenever he forgot that his parents were dead … but he was grateful to Master Obi-Wan nonetheless.

He would still be there. Waxer and Boil would be there. He could come back to the _Negotiator_ any time, especially if he started feeling overwhelmed, something that concerned both Master Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. And most important of all, Cody would be there. He looked back at his guardian and said softly, "Okay. I'm ready." Cody smiled at him, and it was like the sun coming up to that little boy. Cody squeezed his hand gently and rose to his feet. Together, hand in hand, they walked to the slowly-opening ramp, flanked by Master Obi-Wan and Ahsoka.

Thus, Din's first glimpse of the Jedi Temple was not of the towering edifice … but of two small groups of people. The first, and closest, group was also the largest. There was a pretty blonde lady, cradling a baby in her arms, with two children each holding onto a leg … two boys, several years older than Din, flanking her protectively. Behind the boys was a young couple … a sandy-haired young man and a girl with dark red hair. But it was the second, much smaller group that held Din's attention as they descended the ramp, because in that group was the strangest being he'd ever seen. It was a little green … something. Maybe a man? But unlike any man Din ever saw (then again, until he left his home planet on the _Negotiator_ and started for Coruscant, he'd never seen a non-human) … he was tiny, around the same size of the boy and girl Din noticed in the first group, with bat-like ears, a tiny cane clutched in one hand. He never saw such a being, so he could possibly be forgiven for breathing, "Is that real? It's not a doll?"

There was a bitten off howl of laughter, followed by a howl of pain, and a feminine voice hissing, "Stop that! That is _so_ rude, Niki!" The little green thing, however, didn't seem offended. More … amused than anything else. The tall, dark-skinned man beside him was covering his face with his palm, the way Master Obi-Wan did when one of the vod was being particularly silly … but around his hand, Din could see a smile.

"Heheheheh. A doll, I am not, youngling. Call me Yoda, you may. My grand-padawan, Obi-Wan is," the little green thing … Yoda … answered. Grand-padawan … Ahsoka told him that padawans and masters were like kids and their parents, so this was like Obi-Wan's grandfather? Not that Din remembered his own grandfather, who died before he was born, but there was an old man in the village who … Din's breath caught in his throat, because Grandfather Iestin was gone, Din would never see him again, never …

A tiny clawed hand on his cheek brought Din back to the Jedi Temple, away from his destroyed village, away from the ashes of his old life. He stared at Yoda, realizing a bit numbly that tears were streaming down his cheeks once again. There was only compassion in the tiny creature's expression as he said gently, "Grieve you do, for your parents, for your neighbors, yes. Have new family, you do … take the place of the old, they will not. And with you, your parents ever shall be. Force-sensitive you may not be … but with you, in you, the Force is. Part of the Force, your parents are … so forever with you, they are."

"I miss them," Din whispered, his voice breaking. It was the first time since the first night that he allowed himself to think about his lost parents, his lost neighbors, his lost village, his lost life. He was vaguely aware of Yoda's hand on his cheek, Cody's hand on his shoulder, and the warmth of Master Obi-Wan and Ahsoka behind him. He thought about what else Yoda said, and asked, "Do you really believe that? That they're still with me?" His breath hitched on the last two words, and Yoda's huge eyes softened.

"Believe? No. _Know_ this, I do. With you, they are … with us, you are. Alone, you never shall be," the tiny being replied. Din started as a voice spoke in his head. Not exactly spoke, but … he knew that his new family was far larger than he first realized. Tears still streaming down his face, he closed his eyes and leaned forward, his forehead coming to rest against Yoda's, and a clawed hand reaching up to rest at the back of his head. No … no, he would never be alone.

SWSWSWSWSW

He was very quiet, this latest addition to their family … remaining at his guardian's side once they returned to the Kenobi-Skywalker-Tano residence, watching everything with big dark eyes, at least in the first few hours after his arrival. He wondered if he was like that when he came to live at the Jedi Temple after that old hag killed his buir, after he chose Obi-Wan. Well, no, not exactly … he'd seen it before, when he and his buir found Obi-Wan again, but seeing it and knowing you were going to live there weren't the same.

Technically, Din was his cousin or even his nephew, since Cody was his brother … but Boba Fett decided, just as soon as Asajj told him and his new partner-in-crime about Cody finding the little boy after the MagnaDroids and General Grievous destroyed his village, that this was his brother. He loved Luke, of course, but he was still so little, and spending more and more time with his lessons. Din was more like him, and like Han, and someone they could include on their adventures (with Cody's permission, of course … Boba was not crazy enough to draw his brother's wrath. And even if he was, there was still Obi-Wan and Asajj to deal with. Ah, no thanks … Obi-Wan's Disappointed Face was even more deadly than Cody's).

Boba's older sister Ahsoka explained in a hushed voice that she relayed what she could about the Jedi to their new little brother. They trailed behind the adults in their family, while Obi-Wan, Asajj, and Cody were giving Din a tour of the Temple. It was from Ahsoka that he learned things he hadn't known before, primarily because they hadn't come up. After his buir's death, he chose Obi-Wan and Asajj, although he knew Aunt Padme thought he should live with them. Maybe if there wasn't Obi-Wan, he would have … but Obi-Wan kept him safe, and Obi-Wan needed him (more to the point, Asajj needed his help to keep Obi-Wan safe … besides, Obi-Wan wasn't from Mandalore, but he'd been there, and he respected Boba's people).

It didn't hurt that Obi-Wan and Grandpa Yan told him the truth about the past between the Jedi and the Mandalorians. Not just about Galidraan, because Grandpa Yan wanted him to understand just how much of a hero his father was (something Boba already knew, but that Grandpa Yan thought it was important … that meant a lot to him), but there was more before that. _We are very powerful beings, Boba_, Obi-Wan said softly, _but we are also sentient beings, so we sometimes make mistakes … sometimes terrible mistakes. What has always saddened me, when I learned of the history between the Jedi and the Mandalorians, is how similar our beliefs really are. I don't believe we should have ever been enemies._

_We don't have to be enemies now_, Boba answered earnestly, and was rewarded with smiles from both men. And that was the end of it, at least as far as Boba was concerned. He thought, once in a while, about what his father would have thought of his choice. But in the end, he was confident that his buir would understand … maybe even approve. There were even times when Boba imagined that his buir would have come to love Obi-Wan as he did. Oh, he would never say so, because that wasn't his way … in fact, Boba would have realized that his father loved the auburn-haired Jedi by how much he pretended that he didn't.

Asajj … oh, he could imagine his father getting along with Asajj if they had more time! Especially given her history … she'd told him late one night, not long after they found out that Miya would be joining their family, while Obi-Wan was putting the twins to bed, about her early life. She told him about her parents, about her first Jedi Master (Luke was named after him, in part), about Grandpa Yan and Obi-Wan finding her only hours after Ky Narec's death, and only scant weeks after Obi-Wan's Knighting. She was an unconventional padawan, just as Anakin (aka, the gundark) was. It was Asajj's belief that his years of helping Grandpa Yan to deal with his prickly, heartbroken young padawan also helped Obi-Wan when it came time for the Naboo mission, which was where Obi-Wan and Anakin met.

Boba, not to put too fine a point on it, was absolutely fascinated with Asajj's story. It also brought certain things into perspective for him. Master Mace told him once that Asajj did as much work on the front end as she did on the back-end with the war orphans. The phraseology confused him a bit, but Master Mace explained that the back-end was the paperwork and the bureaucracy, the behind the scenes details that were necessary to every project. The front end was the public face as well as actually spending time with the children.

Once he thought about it, it made sense to Boba, because the gundark (he actually liked Anakin, but it was part of his job as the little brother to be annoying, and he was very good at it) spent nearly as much time with the war orphans as Asajj did. They were both unconventional padawans, so it was to be expected that they would be able to relate to non-Jedi children. But, there were Force-sensitive children among the war orphans as well, and based on what both Master Mace and Asajj told him, they would be future padawans.

All of that was well and good, but Boba was focused on the present, and on helping the newest member of the family. He glanced at Din, who was nodding off in Cody's arms (literally, he was nodding … he'd start to fall asleep, and then jerk awake, as if he was afraid he would miss something. It was actually pretty funny). Cody glanced down at the younger boy with a small smile and murmured, "I should tuck this little one in … shhh, Din'ika. You'll be able to see more in the morning, I promise." That began a mass exodus, as the people who didn't live there got up and began by kissing the top of Din's head or ruffling his hair, before leaving for the night. After the last of the vod said good-night to their new nephew and the rest of their general's family (because Obi-Wan would always be their general, always be their Jedi), until finally, only Asajj, Obi-Wan, Cody, Din, Han, Anakin, Jasleen and Boba himself were left. The twins and Miya were tucked into bed several hours earlier by Grandpa Yan, before he himself went to bed. Likely he would read for a while … he usually did.

Cody smiled at them all before carrying his precious cargo to their quarters. It went without saying, at least among family, that he would be sleeping on the floor in Din's room, at least until the little boy was more settled. Obi-Wan had done the same thing when Boba came to live with them. It would take more time for Din that it had for Boba … but it didn't matter. That was okay. He was family now, and they took care of family.

SWSWSWSWSW

"Some of the shatterpoints have healed."

Grandmaster Mace Windu and former Grandmaster Yoda sat in the latter's quarters, hours after welcoming Din Djarin into the Jedi Order and leaving the new family. The little boy wasn't … overwhelmed, as such, but definitely stunned by the number of people waiting to welcome him, who wanted to make him feel at home. He switched laps once he became comfortable … between Cody, Obi-wan, Rex, before getting daring and sitting in Jasleen's lap, much to that young lady's delight (and, everyone was amused to note, Anakin's mock-jealousy). He sat there for several moments, listening intently to whatever Jasleen told him.

Eventually, he returned to Cody's lap, now flanked by Han and Boba. The two boys told Din, as soon as he was introduced to them, that he was their little brother now. If anyone gave him a hard time, he was to tell Boba and Han immediately if it was someone their age (if it was someone older, then he needed to tell his uncles … and there were _so_ many of those). After about an hour, Mace and Yoda excused themselves: they needed to talk about the changes they sensed in the Force, wrought by Cody's actions.

Even with the death of Lady Sidious three years old, there were still shatterpoints … and there were still Sith in the galaxy. One of their most promising Shadows, Quinlan Vos, was dispatched to learn more. And even if every Sith died out, there was still evil in the galaxy, in the universe, and the Jedi had plenty of work to do. But some of the shatterpoints were healing, and that could only be a good thing.

"A great thing, this is," Yoda agreed, "but worry, I do." Mace looked at his small companion, who explained, his ears flattening against his head, "Heard from my home planet, I have. Taken, an infant has been. No more information, I was provided." That … wasn't good news. And Yoda wasn't finished. The former Grandmaster added quietly, "Age differently, we do … realize this, you do. Not even twenty years old, this child is." Mace swallowed hard. Yoda and Yaddle at one time explained to him, not long after the clones were discovered, what the development of their species was. A twenty year old infant was roughly equivalent to a six month old human child.

But there was something else. He said slowly, "You aren't telling me this as a warning or as a note from home. You're telling me this for a reason." Yoda had reasons for what he was doing, sometimes reasons within reasons. Yoda nodded slowly and Mace waited patiently. One thing he learned about Yoda's species from both Yoda and Yaddle … given how long they lived, they often took their time in gathering their thoughts and speaking what was on their minds. You couldn't push them … you could only be patient.

"Dreams, I have had. Dreams of that boy, cradling an infant in his arms. But cradling a human infant, he was not. Cradling an infant of my species, he was. Tied together, that missing child and Din Djarin are, somehow," he finally answered. Mace ran that through his mind a few times, before realizing that Yoda was correct. The little boy who'd been starting to fall asleep in Cody's lap was at the heart of some of the new shatterpoints that were growing. This was where the gift of shatterpoints became dangerous, just as the gift of the Unifying Force could become dangerous: the desire, the intent, to change things could cause what you were trying to avoid.

He finally answered, "Then our purpose in Din Djarin's life is to give him a home and provide him with support … regardless of where his path leads him." Yoda raised his eyes to look at him, and nodded his agreement. Mace exhaled slowly. Then that was what they would do … the Jedi and the Mandalorian clones would give Din all they had, in terms of education and training. It would be up to him, what he did with it, even if he chose a path at first that led away from them. But … wasn't that what you did with all children?

TBC


End file.
